Apple and Caramel Crumble is a classic stodgy pudding, filled with plenty of fruity flavour and an added sweet twist, topped with thick oaty crumble. Perfect with custard.
I love fruity crumbles. Always been one of my favourite puddings.
A sticky, fruity bottom, topped with a super simple oaty crumble, baked until the top is brown and crunchy, and the sauce is bubbling up over the sides.
My apple and pear crumble is another favourite in our house.
Perfect, both in winter when you need something warm and comforting and in summer when you crave more refreshing fruit puddings.
Perhaps one of the best things about fruit crumbles like my apple and caramel crumble is that they are super easy and cheap to make.
Perfect for after family dinners and easy puddings to keep the kids happy.
They are also satisfying. A big portion of apple caramel crumble fills you up and warms you from the inside. It’s just lovely.
What Apples are Best for Apple Crumble?
Ideally, cooking apples like Bramley or other firm, tart options like Granny Smith apples are the best for any kind of baking.
Because they are firm and have a strong flavour, they keep their flavour and a bit of crunch as they bake.
A softer, sweeter apple, like golden delicious, will lose flavour more and go a little mushy and perhaps watery.
That said, an easy caramel apple crumble will work with any apple. I often use pink lady because that’s what we buy. Or whatever it is that our tree grows.
A strong, firm apple will give your caramel apple crumble a stronger flavour, but it will still work with other apples.
Baking Crumble in Individual Bowls
I bake my apple crumble with caramel in one large ovenproof dish. We all eat it together for pudding, and there’s no need for anything else.
However, if you want to bake your toffee apple crumble recipe in individual dishes, you absolutely can. Just split the mixture evenly into bowls, and reduce the baking time, checking after 15 minutes.
Your toffee apple crumble is ready when the top is golden and crunchy, and you can see some of the fruit bubbling up from the edges.
Why Isn’t My Crumble Top Crunchy?
Oats, when baked, are beautifully crunchy, so a caramel apple crumble with oats should have a fantastic texture.
I use oats in all of my crumbles, I just think that both the texture and taste are better than without.
If your crumble topping still isn’t crunchy, the first thing to try is baking for a few minutes more.
Other issues can include:
- Your baking dish is too small. If your dish is smaller, both your apple filling and your crumble will be deeper. They’ll need longer to bake, but even then, the crumble might be too heavy to really crisp up. I bake my caramel apple crumble recipe in an ovenproof dish that’s around 9 inches by 7 inches. If you don’t have an ovenproof dish like this, a cake tin or brownie pan will do.
- Too much or not enough butter. Too much butter and your crumble will be greasy and soft. Too little, and it won’t hold together, all the ingredients will stay separate, and it won’t crunch or brown. These quantities work well for me, but sometimes it can vary because of something as simple as what brands you use. If your crumble is soft and gooey or just not quite right, try adjusting your butter slightly next time.
- You’ve overworked the butter and flour. It can be tempting to keep rubbing the flour and butter so that your breadcrumb texture is fine and even. Don’t. It should resemble breadcrumbs, but it doesn’t have to be neat or fine. Just rub for a few minutes so that there’s not lots of fine, clean flour. Don’t worry about the perfect texture.
- You made your buttery crumble with margarine, not unsalted butter. Margarine is oil-based, that’s why it’s easy to spread, but it means that your crumble will be sloppy. Try to use butter if you can. If you are using margarine, reduce the quantity, and rub in a bit at a time until you get the right consistency.
How Long Does Apple Crumble Last?
Apple and caramel crumble is best served straight from the oven. But, if you’ve got any left, leave it to cool, cover it, and pop it in the fridge.
It will be fine for 2-3 days.
When you are ready to eat, either warm up carefully in the microwave (I don’t know how long for, I haven’t got one. 1 minute?) or bake for 15 minutes (depending on how much is left) in the oven, covered to avoid the tops crisping too much.
How to Serve Apple and Caramel Crumble
I pretty much always serve my recipe for apple crumble with caramel with custard.
I love custard. It’s one of my favourite things. It’s just so comforting and warming. Robyn loves it too. She used to eat it by the bowl full…maybe still would.
A fruit crumble or pie with custard is my idea of a proper classic pudding.
But, if you prefer, you could serve this recipe for caramel apple crumble with cream, ice cream, or even on its own.
How to Make Caramel Apple Crumble
I keep things super simple when I make my apple caramel crumble recipe, adding carnation caramel.
You could make your own caramel sauce, but puddings with carnation caramel are easy, cheap, and always taste great.
As well as my carnation caramel apple crumble, I love to make banoffee pie and my banoffee loaf cake with carnation. It’s just nice to be able to make a quick and easy family pudding when you’ve got a million other things to do.
My tips for making apple crumble with caramel sauce are:
- Just simmer the apples in a little water or apple juice until slightly softened. Add more water if you need to, and don’t let them simmer dry.
- While they are softening, you only need to coat the apples in caramel. If you want a more toffee-like flavour, add more caramel to the top of the apples before adding the crumble.
- I like a really oaty crumble. I love oats, but if you prefer, you can skip them entirely or change the ratio.
- The brown sugar in the crumble can be substituted for caster sugar.
- Don’t use margarine.
Apple and Caramel Crumble
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 8 Apples (Peeled, cored, and chopped into 1-2cm chunks)
- 5 tablespoons Caramel
For the Crumble Topping:
- 250 g Plain Flour
- 150 g Porridge Oats
- 150 g Soft Light Brown Sugar
- 200 g Unsalted Butter (at room temperature, cut into cubes)
Instructions
- In a large pan, gently heat the apples with a small splash of water for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the caramel.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often until the apples are soft and well coated in caramel.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Tip the caramel-coated apples into an ovenproof cooking dish.
- Set to one side.
- For the crumble rub together the flour, oats, sugar, and butter until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- Sprinkle evenly over the apple base.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and the fruit filling is bubbling up at the edges.
Video
Notes
- I use a tin of carnation caramel.
- When rubbing the crumble mixture, don’t overwork it as this will lead to a heavy texture. Stop as soon as it’s combined into fine breadcrumbs.
- I use butter, not margarine for crumble, as margarine can be soggy.
- My dish is around 9 inches by 7 inches. If yours is smaller, you may want to reduce the quantities so it’s not too deep. If it’s larger, check after 20-25 minutes as it will bake faster.
- If you use Bramley apples, you might only need 4 as they are much bigger.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
